This invention relates in general to replacement windows for buildings, and more particularly to a packaged replacement window that is easily stored, transported, and otherwise handled.
The windows in buildings usually deteriorate with age, and the effects of deterioration not only lead to an unsightly appearance, but further contribute significantly to the loss of heat. Furthermore, double hung windows were for many years manufactured with counterweights to maintain the sash at the desired height, but sash chains or cords in time break, leaving the counterweights of many early windows isolated and inaccessible in cavities along the sides of their window frames.
The traditional approach for remedying the problems produced by an old and inoperative window has been to remove the entire window unit and replace it with an entirely new window unit. This procedure usually creates a considerable mess and leaves both the interior and exterior wall surfaces of the building marred, for the window frame must be removed from the wall in which it is embedded. Hence, the replacement of a window is usually accompanied by the application of some plaster and is almost always followed by painting.
To reduce the cost and other inconveniences of window replacements, some window manufacturers now market replacement windows for installation in existing window frames. Thus, the frame remains in the wall and the surrounding plaster or other surface material is not disturbed. The typical double hung replacement window of this type basically consists of two jamb weatherstrip and balance assemblies which extend the full height of the window opening at each side, and sash which fit into the assemblies and close the opening. The sash slide upwardly and downwardly in the old window frame, yet seal it much more effectively than the old sash because of better weather stripping. Moreover, most of the sash have insulating overlying glass which significantly reduce the heat loss and the condensation problems associated with single panes of glass.
While the new replacement windows, that is the ones designed for installation in existing frames, offer many advantages over the traditional approach to window replacement, there are some disadvantages which are particularly troublesome to suppliers such as lumber yards and other building supply outlets. In contrast to conventional windows which are sold as units, that is with the sash and frame all joined together in a single unit, the sash and weatherstrip assemblies of the new replacement windows are generally separate and are not packaged together because the weatherstrip assemblies are so much longer than the sash. Normally the weatherstrip assemblies are stored separately from the sash and as a result they are sometimes lost or else sold with the wrong sash. This makes the inventory difficult to control. Also, the sash lay about where they might become damaged, often being kicked or nicked by hard tired trucks. Aside from that, the presence of the long weatherstrip assemblies makes transporation of the replacement windows difficult, particularly for the ultimate purchaser who often has nothing more than an automobile to transport the relatively long jamb weatherstrip and balance assemblies.